Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40425544›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Developing nanobodies as allosteric molecular chaperones of glucocerebrosidase function.

Thomas Dal Maso, Chiara Sinisgalli, Gianluca Zilio, Elisa Franzin, Isabella Tessari, Els Pardon, Jan Steyaert, Steven Ballet, Elisa Greggio, Wim Versées and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Thomas Dal Maso *VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7647-2659
Chiara Sinisgalli *Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1152-004X
Gianluca ZilioDepartment of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Elisa FranzinDepartment of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Isabella TessariDepartment of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Els PardonVIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium.
Jan SteyaertVIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3825-874X
Steven BalletResearch Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4123-1641
Elisa GreggioDepartment of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8172-3598
Wim VerséesVIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium. wim.versees@vub.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4695-696X
Nicoletta PlotegherDepartment of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. nicoletta.plotegher@unipd.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7421-8705

Funding

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (Michael J. Fox Foundation) MJFF-020706Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (Michael J. Fox Foundation) MJFF-17240
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase) catalyses the hydrolysis of glucosylceramide to glucose and ceramide within lysosomes. Homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the GCase-encoding GBA1 gene cause the lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease, while heterozygous and homozygous mutations are the most frequent genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease. These mutations commonly affect GCase stability, trafficking or activity. Here, we report the development and characterization of nanobodies (Nbs) targeting and acting as molecular chaperones for GCase. We identify several Nb families that bind with nanomolar affinity to GCase. Based on biochemical characterization, we group the Nbs in two classes: Nbs that improve the activity of the enzyme and Nbs that increase GCase stability in vitro. A selection of the most promising Nbs is shown to improve GCase function in cell models and positively impact the activity of the N370S mutant GCase. These results lay the foundation for the development of new therapeutic routes.

Indexed as

GlucosylceramidaseMolecular ChaperonesSingle-Domain AntibodiesAllosteric RegulationAnimalsGaucher DiseaseHEK293 CellsHumansLysosomesMutationGlucosylceramidaseMolecular ChaperonesSingle-Domain Antibodies

Identifiers

PMID40425544
PMCPMC12117155

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.